Mutilatable retaining-casing for bottles.



E. GREENE.

MUTILATABLE RETAINING CASING FOR BOTTLES.

APPLICATION FILED nEc.23. I914.

mwm, Patented De0.21,1915.

V COLUMBIA PLANDCIRAPR C0.. WASHINGroN. n. c,

EDGEWOBTI-I GREENE, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

MUTILATABLE RETAINING-CASING- FOB. BOTTLES.

Lilo 312.

Application filed December 23, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enonwonrrr GREENE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mutilatable Retaining-Casings for Bottles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bottles, and more specifically, to the means by which a terminal sleeve with which a bottle, under some circumstances is provided, is secured to the neck of the bottle, and its novelty consists in the construction and adaptation of the parts, as will be more fully hereinafter pointed out.

In application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed by me on the 23rd day of dvlay, 1914, Serial Number 840,401, I have described a non-refillable bottle, in which there is shown a bottle provided with a neck, above which is arranged a terminal sleeve which constitutes the housing for the valve parts more particularly described in that application and which sleeve is secured to the neck of the bottle by means of a retaining casing which is described in that application as being put in position by spinning the same to contact with the terminal sleeve and with the upper portion of the neck of the bottle.

In practice, as this bottle is nonrefillable through the valve system, it has been found that there is a great temptation for unscrupulous dealers to remove the terminal sleeve and the valve system by bending back the upper edge of the retaining casing or otherwise manipulating it, then replacing the terminal sleeve and attempting to replace the casing in its original position. When the retaining casing merely contacts with the shoulder of the terminal sleeve which is hereafter described and does not rise above such shoulder, it is not difficult, by means of a suitable tool, to bend back the upper edge of such retaining casing, a sufficient distance to free the terminal casing sleeve from its grasp and effect its removal without serious risk of detection. The object of this invention is to prevent such re moval and replacing of the terminal sleeve and the consequent fraud upon the customers of the dealer who is supposed to dispense the original contents of the bottle. To that end, I make the retainer of tender metal which is readily mutilatable and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Serial No. 878,644.

which, if tampered with, is distorted or in- Jured in such a manner that it cannot readily be replaced without detection and, as a further precaution, I have provided such a caslng preferably with interruption of its continuity at the place where it would necessarily be manipulated in the carrying out of the nefarious practice above referred to.

In the drawing, there is illustrated a pre- 1ferred form of device embodying the invenion.

Figure 1 is a plan of the retaining casing, Fig. 2 1s a central vertical section of the same on the plane of the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the bottle showing the retaining casing in section of any position before it is spun against the neck of the bottle. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the parts after the retaining casing has been put in place. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the neck of the bottle, the terminal sleeve and the retaining casing showing a modified form of the casing in which it is provided with ribs or corrugations at the terminal sleeve shoulder. Fig. 6 is a section on the plane of the line 6-6 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the neck of the bottle, the terminal sleeve and the retaining casing, showing the latter provided with interruptions of its continuity at the terminal sleeve shoulder in the forms of scallops or indentations, and Fig. 8 is a section on the plane of the line 8-8 in Fig. 7

In the drawing, 10 represents the body of a bottle of which 11 is the shoulder and 12 is the neck. Placed upon the upper edge of the neck is an annular gasket 13 made of cork or other suitable packing material and placed above this is a terminal sleeve 14:, which is cylindrical in form at its bottom, where it contacts with the annular gasket 13 and is restricted by a shoulder 15 above which it is frusto conical in shape, as indicated at 16, and which sleeve forms a housing for the valve system by which the closure of the bottle is effected. This sleeve is secured to the neck of the bottle by a retaining casing 19, preferably made of soft, tender material, as of aluminum alloy.

This casing is substantially cylindrical in shape and is restricted by a shoulder indicated at 20 to form an annular band or flange 21, above said shoulder. The manner in which it is placed in position is as follows: The bottle which has been suitably filled, is placed in an upright position and the terminal sleeve, containing the valve members, is placed so that it rests upon an annular gasket 13. The retaining casing is then dropped over the frusto-conical portion of the terminal sleeve and fixed looselyagainst the same, the band or flange 21 being purposely made of a smaller internal diameter than the external diameter of the lower part of such frusto-conica-l portion. The parts arethen placed in a spinning machine, and the action of that machine (which is one used in the art and need not be explained here), is to put pressure upon the shoulder :20 of the casing and draw it down snugly against the terminal sleeve and then to spin in the parts of the sleeve against the annular grooves formed on the neck of the bottle. At the same time, a suitable device presses down upon the top of the terminal sleeve and against the gasket 18 so as to form a tight fit between these parts, which are thus securely locked together. The forms of the retaining casing shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 5 and G, 7 and 8 are all placed in position in substantially the same manner.

When any one desires to remove the terminal sleeve from the bottle by manipulation of the casing, it is obviously necessary to press the casing back from contact with the terminal sleeve in order to permit of the latter being lifted from the neck of the bottle. If the metal is made soft and tender and the flange 21 is made to extend a short distance above the shoulder of the sleeve, any tool employed for the purpose of pushing back the band and widening the opening will almost invariably mutilate the band and when the parts are replaced and it is at tempted to smooth down the surfaces, such mutilation can readily be detected because it is necessary to stretch or expand the metal of the band or flange 21, and it cannot be replaced in its original position without wrinkling. Much more is this the case with the two forms of bands shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In both of these forms the continu ity of the surface of the band being inter- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents cacl' rupted, a tool used to stretch or expand the band will in the case of the ribs or corrugations shown in the form illustrated in Fig. 5, press down or destroy such corrugations, and in the form shown in Fig. 7, will completely tear or break the scallops or indentations, making it impossible to replace such bands without detection.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a retaining casing for the purpose described, comprising a substantially cylindrical body of soft tender metal having an inset shoulder and an upstanding terminal flange projecting from the inner edge of the shoulder, said flange being initially of smaller diameter than the portion of the terminal. sleeve of the bottle which it is adapted to surround.

2'. The combination with the neck of a bottle and a terminal sleeve thereon provided. with an external shoulder, of a retaining casing surrounding and connecting the neck and sleeve, said casing having a shoulder overlying the shoulder of the sleeve and an upstanding flange projecting from said shoulder, and said sleeve furthermore having projections in the angle formed by said shoulder and flange.

3. The combination with the neck of a bottle and an upwardly tapered terminal sleeve thereon provided with an external shoulder below its upper end, of a retaining casing surrounding the neck and sleeve and bridging the joint between them, said casing having a shoulder overlying the shoulder of the sleeve, and an upstanding flange surrounding a portion of said sleeve above said shoulder, said upstanding flange being of soft pliable material and being initially of less diameter than the portion of the sleeve it surrounds, whereby it is in stretched condition and tightly hugs said portion.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGEW ORTH GREENE.

Vl itnesses:

'ALDA L. MILLER, MARY H. Lnwrs.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I G. 

